X-Ray Vision!
Northwestern Ph.D. students Rebecca Tonietto and Paul Hartzog have been using our new X-Ray set-up to determine seed viability of all collections that are currently being accessioned into the seed bank. X-ray vision allows us to see if the embryos inside the seed are fully mature, or if there are insect larvae feasting on our precious seed.
Becky Tonietto
Counting filled (red) and empty (yellow) seeds. The percentage of filled seeds in this sample is applied to the total seed count to give a better indication of seed viability in the collection.
